Intervention on LaVerkin Bridge, man threatens to jump

LAVERKIN – The Washington County Sheriff’s Department, LaVerkin Police Department and Hurricane Police Department responded to a report of a man threatening to jump off a bridge late Sunday night.

The man had climbed a fence on top of the bridge, located on state Route 9 near the border of LaVerkin and Hurricane, and was threatening to jump. Officers from the three agencies arrived at 11:30 p.m. and attempted to talk him down with the assistance of several family members.

Shortly after midnight, the man voluntarily climbed down from the bridge. He was taken into custody by the Sheriff’s Department and transported to Intermountain Healthcare Southwest Region at Dixie Regional Medical Center for treatment.

Det. Nate Abbott, public information officer for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, said that the individual was arrested as a matter of his own safety. No charges will be filed.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2013, all rights reserved.

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About the Author

Alexa Verdugo Morgan began her journalism career in 2009, working for various newspapers, magazines and online publications, including the Mainstreet Business Journal of Southern Utah and Southern Utah Youth Sports Magazine, before joining the STGnews team in October 2011. She is also the author of "The Cave of Souls," a young adult adventure/science fiction/fantasy novel. In her spare time, she enjoys music, photography, tennis, her dog and four guinea pigs. She lives in Ivins.

4 Comments

Did you know the incident of suicides Nationally is higher than the instances of murders by assault weapons? Did you know the rate of suicides in Utah is higher than the National average rate of suicides? http://health.utah.gov/vipp/suicide/index.html

Would that suggest that the instances of murders by assault weapons in Utah is also higher than the National average?

You read an article about a man who was so beat down that he couldn’t stand to breathe any longer…and what you came away from it with was a rim-shot for your politics? What the heck is so wrong with people that they can’t be supportive of one another? Depression is not always curable but when treated and supported, it’s survivors do just that…survive! Prayers for the man who is hospitalized, pity for the dog named Rex.

Utah has a social problem with its high rate of suicides and dependency on anti-depressants. I am surprised the number of suicides and the age of those attempting or committing suicide in a state where people tout themselves as “Family Oriented.” The causes for Utah having one of the nation’s highest rate of suicide and depression is a social problem needing to be addressed, the cause identified and resolved. Just saying “My heart goes out, blah, blah, blah…” doesn’t do anything to fix it. If you truly were concerned, address the cause and work to resolve it.